by Lydia Carole DeFretos, Aquarian Weekly, January 19, 2000
(rating: 5 - Buy immediately so you don't have to lie about being "into it" first.)
Fans of such great power pop acts as The Pixies and The Breeders are quick to point out that one of the leaders in the category is The Pursuit of Happiness (TPOH).
This Toronto-based band made their Todd Rundgren-produced debut in '88 with the Love Junk disc and almost immediately scored a hit with "I'm An Adult Now," lead singer/songwriter Moe Berg's ode to his lost youth. They followed that up with One Sided Story ('90), which featured "Shave Your Legs," the tale of a challenged romance, and "Food," which likens intestinal appetite with sexual craving. The Downward Road ('93), Where's the Bone? ('95) and Wonderful World of the Pursuit of Happiness ('97) all continued to combine their crunchy rock riffs with catchy melodies and witty, neurotic lyrics.
Sex & Food... chronicles the highlights of TPOH's career as well as four previously unreleased rarities. Live versions of "Food" and "Edmonton Block Heater" present them at a recent show in their hometown. Both the Love Junk outtake "Take You With Me," and the demo version of "Wake Up And Smell Cathy" document the group's beginnings. As a bonus, Berg wrote the liner notes for this compilation.
This is a must-have disc by one of the most underrated groups around.